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    PRESS RELEASE

    ICYMI: Shapiro-Davis Administration Investments in Youth Safety Programs Are Helping Keep Kids Safe, Create Safer Communities, & Expand After-School Opportunities

    “This $500,000 investment from PCCD is more than funding; it’s an opportunity to deepen our impact, expand our reach, and continue creating a space where our community feels seen, supported, and empowered.”  
    – Lighthouse Executive Director Edwin Desamour

     

    “The district has received school safety and mental health grant funding…through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which the Lt. Governor leads. We are proud to receive these much-needed investments from the Commonwealth…”
    – Farrell Area School District Superintendent Dr. Lora Adams-King

     

    “Our children are the future of this commonwealth, which is why investing in these projects is so vital. These after-school and violence prevention programs prioritize our children’s education, safety and wellbeing — contributing to setting them up for a successful future.”
    – Senator Dan Laughlin

    May 15, 2026

    Harrisburg, PA – Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, who serves as Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Chair, recently visited organizations that are expanding youth opportunities and strengthening community safety through investments from the Commonwealth’s Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) and Building Opportunities through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) programs, while stressing the importance of continued investment.

    PCCD recently approved 177 projects across Pennsylvania under the VIP and BOOST programs, totaling more than $65 million statewide in the latest round of grants to support community safety initiatives and youth programming. Here’s what national organizations are saying about the importance of investing in strategies that keep communities safe and expand opportunities for young people. Under the Shapiro-Davis Administration, state funding for VIP has more than doubled, and PCCD has approved over 350 VIP and BOOST projects, totaling approximately $162 million.

    Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal continues to make investments in the community organizations doing critical violence prevention work by proposing a $5.2M increase for the VIP program and a $1M increase for the BOOST program, bring total proposed investment to $68.3M.

    During visits to two Northwestern Pennsylvania grant recipients earlier this month — the Farrell Area School District in Mercer County and the YMCA of Greater Erie’s Teen Center — Lt. Gov. Davis heard firsthand how BOOST and VIP funding are helping these organizations provide safe, supportive spaces for young people after school hours.

    Lt. Gov. Davis also recently spoke at the launch of a new initiative, “Play It Safe Philly,” that is focused on preventing youth violence by investing in sports and other enrichment activities.

    This week, Lt. Gov. Davis joined local leaders and community organizations in Philadelphia, where he urged the importance of continued state investments like these to sustain the Commonwealth’s progress in reducing violence. In Pennsylvania, violent crime is down 12 percent statewide, and fatal gun violence has dropped 42 percent.

    In total, over the past three years, PCCD has provided more than $1 billion in funding through 6,764 grants across Pennsylvania to address and prevent violence in our communities.

    Learn more about how the investments made by the Shapiro-Davis Administration are supporting youth and improving community safety:

    Media Contacts

    Ali Sindlinger

    Communications Director
    Commission on Crime and Delinquency Media